Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ernie]

this ^ is why spandex should be outlawed...

[Guri Guy]

10 medals now. Currently we are tied with South Korea for medals in the Winter plus Summer Olympics combined.

We got 24 medals in the Winter Olympics in 2006.

South Korea got 11 in 2006 plus their 23 in these Olympics.

Of course, South Korea will clean up at their national sport (which should never have been put into the Olympics in the first place) Taekwondo so they will come out ahead.

[Newbie]

[Guri Guy]

It's not desperate at all. I could care less about blind nationalism.
I'd be happy if Canada merely won a gold, silver and a bronze. In fact, I find it very amusing that we are the only nation that has the dubious honor of not winning a gold medal at both a Summer and Winter Olympics in which we were a host country.

It was merely an observation since some of my adult students were asking me how South Korea and Canada compared. I found it interesting to see that they were "tied" at this point in time.

[kermo]

There are systems for creating elite athletes. Heavily funded programs like college teams, and on the opposite end, sheer desperation and poverty.

I'm be ashamed if Canada wasted money grooming young men and women to cultivate useless skills like ribbon twirling or rock throwing, or if government-offered cash could entice people to break bones and punish their bodies to excel in something so trivial.

If Canadians have the time, money and determination to row, lift, shoot or leap their way to greatness, then that's super. If they don't, there's no reason to moan.

[supernick]

Canada does have afcilties for training. It can be hard to find good trainers for some sports though.

As it stands now, Canada is doing fine in the medal count, almost doubling the U.S. based on per capita. Countries with the largest populations should have the highest medal count as the have a higher pool where as to draw athletes from.

This year Great Britain is doing very well, and again better than the U.S per capita, and so is the Netherlands.

Now, Australia is still doing very well, and the reason for this is because of direct government funding. My guess is, other countries such as the Netherlands and GB have a very active government grant program for athletes, but Australia probably pays the most per gold medal.

Australians told Olympic glory doesn't come cheap
Posted on : 2008-05-10 | Author : DPA
News Category : Sports


Sydney - Australia's medal-laden Olympic team Saturday appealed to the government for more money to ensure it repeats its Athens performance and retains fourth place in the medal tally at the Beijing Games. "It's not rocket science," Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates told reporters. "They are going to have to find some more money if they want us to be there (in the top five)."

Coates warned the new Labour government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that it would be punished come election time if Japan or Germany finished ahead in Beijing.

"I don't think the Australian public will take kindly if we suddenly drop off again and fall out of the top 10." Coates said. "The Australian public are very proud of the performances our athletes have been achieving, so I'm hoping that's understood."

Australia finished fourth behind the United States, China and Russia at the Athens Game with Japan fifth and Germany sixth. The team won 17 gold medals in Athens, a national record.

Coates is angling for continued lavish funding for the world-famous Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), a campus in Canberra inspired by state-supported institutions in the former Soviet Union.

Australia sent 475 athletes to Athens, the second largest contingent after that of the US.

Australia has finished in the top 10 in 11 of the 14 Olympics of the modern era. In terms of its 21 million population, Australia was the second-best per-capita performer after the Bahamas.

Analysts estimated that taxpayers paid out 5 million Australian dollars (4.7 million US dollars) for each Olympic medal won in Athens.


I couldn`t care less about a little government money giving a helping hand. I like the fact that governments in Canada provide facitlites for sports and recreation, but simply I would not have my tax dollars supporting athletes the way some countries do just for national pride.

[ernie]

i bet the aussies would do even better if they eliminated all other forms of funding and instead simply paid their athletes per medal: $10 million for gold, $5 million for silver, and $2 million for bronze. imagine what phelps would have earned over the last two olympics! now THAT'S incentive.

[shifter2009]

[Newbie]

[Ilsanman]

Just that one time in Calgary.

We were 3rd place in Turino Winter Olympics.